Whenever a tenancy is created by a landlord or letting agent, we create an account for each tenant they add.
We send an email to the tenants with a link to activate their account. Once activated, they can view the deposit details, take actions related to the deposit and add things like a forwarding address.
The activation link expires after 48 hours but don’t worry, you can request a new link online.
Adjudication is the decision making part of the dispute resolution process. Landlords submit their evidence in support of their claim and tenant’s provide their own evidence supporting their position in response. It’s then sent to an independent, impartial adjudicator, who reviews the evidence and decides how the deposit will be repaid.
It’s worth noting that it isn’t mediation, arbitration, or counselling, and neither the landlord nor the tenant will ever be required to meet with the adjudicator. Nor will the adjudicator visit the property involved in the deposit dispute.
Adjudicators are independent, impartial experts, with the skills necessary to make fair and reasoned decisions based on case evidence.
They’re either employed directly by the deposit protection scheme or an independent individual working under contract. The deposit protection scheme is contractually bound to ensure the adjudicators they employ, directly or under contract, are appropriately qualified for the role.
This is how some people refer to the dispute resolution process. When deposit protection was first introduced in 2007, it was created as an alternative to using the Courts.
Now it’s the standard way to resolve deposit disputes and we’ve stopped referring to it as an alternative.
Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) are the most common form of tenancy in England and Wales.
If all the following apply, it's likely an AST:
- a private landlord or housing association administers the tenancy
- the tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989
- the property is the tenants’ main accommodation
- the landlord doesn’t live in the property
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means:
The tenant is required to review an action on your deposit and let us know what you’d like to do next.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means:
You’re required to review an action on this deposit and let us know what you would like to do next.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means:
We’ve received the deposit and we’re waiting for the funds to clear
The name of our interactive adjudication case studies, based on real life disputes.
Landlords or letting agents may wish to make a claim against the deposit for losses as a result of the tenant’s actions. The claim is the total amount the landlord or letting agent wants to keep, and can be made up of one or several deductions.
A Calendar Day is any day of the week (including weekends and bank holidays).
A type of free deposit protection where a Deposit is passed to an organisation, authorised by the government, for safekeeping until the end of a Tenancy.
Our office where you can telephone us for help or information. You can contact the Customer Service Centre on 0330 303 0030 between 8am and 6.30pm on Working Days. Our Customer Service Centre closes on bank holidays in England and Wales.
These are amounts that the landlord or letting agent wants to keep from the deposit to cover losses as a result of the tenant’s actions. There may be one or several deduction requests made against a deposit and together they make up a claim.
These are reasons why landlords or letting agents want to keep some of the deposit. The landlord or letting agent needs to provide a reason why they’ve requested a deduction.
Sometimes referred to as a tenancy deposit or a security deposit. This is any money a tenant gives to their landlord or letting agent to cover any potential losses arising from their actions during the tenancy. This is different to a holding deposit paid to secure a property prior to the tenancy being agreed.
Dispute resolution is a free service for resolving deposit disputes between landlords and tenants at the end of the tenancy. It was introduced in 2007 when deposit protection was launched. It was designed to be an alternative to using the courts, saving parties time and money, and reducing the burden on the legal system.
If at the end of a Tenancy, the Landlord and the Tenant cannot agree on how much of the Deposit should be given to each Party, this is a Dispute.
The documentation that needs to be submitted, to support a dispute case.
A fixed-term tenancy is one that lasts for a set amount of time. These are usually 6 months, or a year, or multiples thereof. However long the fixed-term tenancy, it must be noted on the tenancy agreement. And, if the tenancy is longer than 90 days, it will automatically become a periodic tenancy when the fixed term expires, unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise. Neither the landlord nor the tenant can end a fixed-term tenancy early. For this reason both parties must be sure that they’re happy for the tenancy to last as long as the fixed term.
A claim that has no serious purpose or value, has little merit or is of a trivial nature, or where to consider it would be out of all proportion to the seriousness of the issues complained about.
The Initial Requirements are those actions the Landlord has to complete within 30 days of receipt of a Deposit under the Housing Act 2004. They are:
- to protect the Deposit in a government-authorised scheme like ours; and
- to give the Tenant a copy of the Prescribed Information.
A type of deposit protection scheme, where a small fee is paid to protect a deposit, which is then retained by the landlord for the duration of a tenancy.
When more than one Tenant has entered into a Tenancy Agreement with a Landlord for one property.
Tenants who share the Tenancy in a single property.
The unique identifying reference number we give to a Landlord when they register with us.
A company who lets or manages a property on the Landlord’s behalf.
The government department that has authorised us to provide our service.
If there are multiple tenants in a tenancy, when it’s time for the deposit to be repaid, one of them will need to accept the role of nominated tenant. They’ll manage the claim and perform any actions required on behalf of all the other tenants.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: You’ve yet to add the deposit funds to this tenancy.
A company who lets or manages a property on the Landlord’s behalf or for itself. Examples include Housing Associations, the N.H.S. and student property associations.
A periodic tenancy is simply one that runs until either the landlord or the tenant advises the other (in writing) that they'd like to end it.
Prescribed Information is a specific set of information relating to a tenancy, which the landlord or letting agent is legally obliged to provide to their tenants. They must serve the tenants with the Prescribed Information within 30 days of receiving the deposit. If must also contain the following information:
- The amount of the deposit
- The address of the property
- The name, address and contact details of the administrator of the tenancy deposit scheme with which the deposit is held
- The name, address and contact details of the landlord and tenants and any third parties who have contributed to the deposit
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: We’ve been instructed to pay the deposit.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: We’ve the deposit money and are holding it until the end of the tenancy.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: You’ve sent us a cheque for deposit funds and we’re waiting for it to reach us.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: You’ve transferred the deposit funds and we’re waiting for them to reach us.
The people involved in a Tenancy, usually the Landlord and Tenant(s). A “Party” is the singular term, referring to just the Landlord or the Tenant.
The fee required to be paid to us by a Landlord or Agent to protect a Deposit in our Insured scheme.
A house, flat, maisonette, bungalow or other type of abode, for which a Deposit is protected.
A relevant person is someone who has paid the deposit, or part of the deposit on behalf of the tenants. The relevant person can discuss the deposit with us, but isn’t authorised to take any action in relation to it.
If your tenant is uncontactable or has failed to respond to your initiation of the return request 14 calendar days after the tenancy has ended, then you can use the Single Claim Process to get your deposit back. To do this, you’ll need to complete a Statutory Declaration form stating the amount you're claiming, and the reasons why. This must be witnessed by a Solicitor, a Commissioner for Oaths or a Magistrate.
When there is only one person named in a Tenancy.
An abbreviation for ‘short message service’, otherwise known as ‘text message’.
A notice we send to an uncontactable or non-responsive party, advising them that we have received a Statutory Declaration. We ask them to respond with any additional information and let them know if they don’t respond in a specified amount of time, the amount claim from the deposit will be paid to the other party.
The tenancy agreement is a contract between landlord and tenant, which gives certain rights to each party. The agreement should be signed by both parties at the start of the tenancy, and make clear any arrangements between the landlord and the tenant.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: We’ve repaid the deposit as per instructions and the tenancy has been closed on our system.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: This tenancy is no longer active in our system.
This is a term we'll use to describe the status of your deposit. This is what it means: We’re currently verifying the details of this tenancy.
This is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy of a Property under which a Deposit is protected with us or another type of tenancy.
A person who, under a Tenancy agreement, exchanges rent payments for accommodation.
The DPS is a trade name of Computershare Investor Services PLC, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 3498808. Its registered office is The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS13 8AE.
A Transfer can be: i. the transfer of a Tenancy from the existing Landlord to a new Landlord; ii. the transfer of a Tenancy from the existing Tenant to a new Tenant; or iii. in the case of a Joint Tenancy, a change in the identity of one or more of the Joint Tenants (Tenant Transfer).
A claim that is entirely without merit and is made with the intention of causing inconvenience, aggravation, harassment or expense to the other side.